training

Core values and principles of a training and
development professional

Dale Curry

This is the second of a series of articles
focusing on ethics in child and youth care worker training and
development. The first article provided an introduction to the National Staff Development and
Training Association's Code of Ethics for Training and Development
Professionals. The full document can be retrieved from the NSDTA website
(http://nsdta.aphsa.org). The first two Core Values and Principles were
introduced in the first article (1) Beneficence and Non-Maleficence and
(2) Learning, Development, Self-Awareness, and Self-Actualization. The
remaining four Core Values and Principles will be discussed in this
article. These values and principles emphasize the importance of
providing leadership through training and development activities,
promoting cultural competence and self determination, and maintaining a
high level of integrity regarding professional responsibilities. The
Core Values and Principles will be listed followed by an example of
compliance and non-compliance to each value and principle. The examples
are intended to promote understanding of the values, principles, and
standards. However, they are not intended to be absolute. Although the
examples in this article do not specifically mention child and youth
care worker trainers, the implications are very relevant to child and
youth care worker training and development activities.

Inherent within the work of the both child and youth
care practitioners and those who promote their training and development
are two central concepts: care and control. Developing caring
relationships and valuing people are balanced with providing the right
amount of control (structure/influence/authority) to promote change and
development. So that care and concern for people take priority over
control and other personal interests, training and development
practitioners must be aware of the profession's core values and guiding
ethical principles.

Human Service Leadership
Training and development professionals recognize the importance of
providing leadership in human services through training and development
activities. Training and development professionals also recognize their
potential influence and take responsibility for their activities in
promoting service to others.

Compliance Example “A training and
development researcher who explored factors affecting the transfer of
learning of employment counselors presented her results at a conference
attended by state and federal policy-makers. One week after her
presentation, she mailed the participants a “user friendly” pamphlet
that clearly indicated potential policy changes based on her research
that could improve transfer of learning of employment counselors
resulting in better services to the unemployed. The researcher enclosed
her business card along with an offer of additional assistance if
requested.

Noncompliance Example “Several workshop
participants in elder care training complained to the trainer and other
participants that the “administration” was not concerned about the care
of the elderly. Even though a few of the other workshop participants
indicated that some of the complaints were not entirely accurate, the
trainer permitted the participants to “vent” during the training for 20
minutes. The trainer finally redirected the discussion back to the
scheduled training by sympathizing with the “complainers” stating “it’s too bad that there is nothing I can do, I just do the training. We
better get to the next section so that we will have time for a break.”

Individual Uniqueness, Cultural Diversity
and Competence
Training and development professionals value diversity in our society
and promote worker competence in understanding the uniqueness of
individuals within their environments.

Compliance Example “A curriculum designer
integrated examples of diversity into every section of a newly created
curriculum on discipline and behavior management. The designer also
included suggestions for the trainer regarding how to explore and help
participants better appreciate diversity among the training group.

Noncompliance Example “Under the constraints
of a tight production timeline and small budget, an instructional media
specialist produced a computer-displayed presentation that included
video and still pictures primarily comprised of her relatively
homogeneous family members, friends, and neighbors. The
computer-displayed presentation was incorporated into a standardized
training package and presented to all juvenile justice workers in the
state.

Self-Determination
Training and development professionals respect the right of the learner
to determine what, when, and how it is best for that individual to
learn. A variety of instructional strategies should be considered to
encourage participation from learners with different learning styles.
Even “mandatory” training activities (e.g., training content required by
law or administrative rule) should provide the learner with options of
how to participate. In addition, training and development professionals
should advocate through their practice the importance of
self-determination for those who receive and/or are in need of human
services.

Compliance Example “A trainer of victim’s assistance training on domestic violence stated before the training and
several times during the training that the subject matter can be
emotionally intense at times. She added that participants should feel
free to not participate if the subject matter becomes overly intense for
them individually. Participants may choose to close their eyes or leave
the room and get a drink of water.

Non-compliance example “Since separation and
loss are crucial knowledge areas in child welfare, a child protective
services trainer insisted that everyone participate in a guided
visualization dealing with loss. The trainer was unaware that one
participant had just returned to work after attending the funeral of a
close relative.

Integrity
Training and development professionals promote a climate of trust and
mutual respect. Values and standards from the NSDTA Code are integrated
into training and development activities. Working relationships are
clarified with others regarding the areas of competence of the training
and development professional, program goals, methods, content/curricula,
confidentiality, fees, and assessment/evaluation strategies. Agreed-upon
commitments are adhered to by the training and development professional.

Compliance Example “In order to promote
appropriate risk-taking for learning, the trainer informed participants
that she will not ordinarily discuss with the participants” supervisors
the individual participant discussions during the training. However, the
trainer added that under certain circumstances, she may be ethically
obligated to inform the supervisor (e.g., if she has concerns that
clients will be harmed). She states that in the few situations when this
has happened in the past, she informed the participant of her intent to
talk with the supervisor. The day after training one of the
participant’s supervisors called the trainer saying that she heard there
were some complaints during the training and demanded to know what her
worker “complained” about The trainer declined to comment on any of the
participant’s discussions and referred the supervisor to the agency’s policy on training and communication with supervisors and other
supportive personnel.

Noncompliance Example “Thinking that she may
receive a higher evaluation rating from the training participants, a
trainer ends training 45 minutes earlier than scheduled even though she
had not completed training to all of the learning objectives.

Ethical Dilemmas
While thinking about the above values, principles and examples, the
reader may be experiencing some ambivalence and internal conflict
regarding some of the implications of these values and principles. For
example, how does a training and development professional protect the
rights of the children for competent care while also promoting the self
determination of the learner by permitting the learner to determine
what, when, and how it is best for that individual to learn? If a
worker refuses to demonstrate a crucial crisis management skill in
training, what ethical obligation does the trainer have to the client or
the supervisor of the learner to ensure learner competence? Some ethical
situations are more complex than simply choosing the alternative that
adheres to an ethical principle. Often a child and youth care training
and development professional will have to choose among alternatives that
involve more than one ethical principle. These ethical dilemmas have
been described as situations where a person encounters (1) a choice
between two rationally defensible courses of action, (2) actions
supported by one or more ethical principles or responsibilities, and (3)
actions having potential significant consequences. They normally involve
choices among conflicting values or responsibilities (Harding, 1985;
Mallucio, Pine, & Tracy, 2002). Further discussion regarding ethical
dilemmas and how to approach them will be discussed in a subsequent
article.

National Staff Development and Training Association
(2004). The Code of Ethics for Training and Development
Professionals in Human Services: Case Scenarios, and Training
Implications. Washington, D.C.: National Staff Development and
Training Association of the American Public Human Services Association.

THE INTERNATIONAL CHILD AND YOUTH CARE NETWORK (CYC-Net)Registered
Non-Profit and Public Benefit Organisation in the Republic of South Africa
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